Cocaine discovered in berry shipment at U.S.-Canada border

A Canadian man was arrested on the U.S. border after officials found more than 280 pounds (127 kilograms) of cocaine in a berry shipment, according to a statement from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

On Oct. 21 members of the CBP Port Huron Anti-Terrorism and Contraband Enforcement Team were conducting routine outbound inspections on the international Blue Water Bridge that links the two countries.

During the inspection, officers selected a commercial truck shipment of berries destined to Canada for an enforcement exam and found approximately four boxes containing plastic-wrapped packages of the drug, said the statement.

“This arrest demonstrates the continued effort by our officers, their dedication to our border security mission and the focus on the export of illicit narcotics,” said Port Director Michael Fox.

Local news reported that Dario Grujic of Guelph, Ontario, told officers he had a load of blackberries from Mexico that he had picked up in Texas.

A complaint filed in federal court stated that Grujic acted strangely while his truck was undergoing an X-ray exam, which noted four anomalies.

The officers located two boxes behind the driver’s seat, and two in the sleeper bunk. Inside them, they found taped packages containing individual kilogram-sized objects that were vacuum sealed.

Following the substance testing, Grujic was arrested.

“According to officers, Grujic did not ask why he was being placed in handcuffs at the time and instead merely slumped his head and remained quiet,” said the complaint.

Media reported that CBP records had Grujic crossing into the U.S. 25 times in the past six months in the same truck.

Grujic was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and made his initial appearance in federal court early Monday, according to the CPB statement.